Students do not have to be affiliated with a school in order to participate in any of our competitions. All students are welcome to participate. We encourage students who attend a school to let their school know they are competing and to participate with other students and teachers from their school, but it is not required. However, students do not have to be officially recognized or sponsored by their school to compete. Pseudonyms are allowed in place of school names in such cases, although we will still need to know which school a student attends.

What is the qualification process for the National Science Bee?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:57:22+00:00

Beginning in the fall semester of 2018 (date TBD), students will be allowed to take a free online qualifying exam at their school or under supervision at another location. Through this exam, students will qualify for the Regional Finals. Student finish at the Regional Finals will determine qualification for the National Championships.

What divisions are available in the National Science Bee?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:57:01+00:00

Students will be divided into 8th Grade, 7th Grade, 6th Grade, and 5th Grade and Younger. For students who do not have a formally recognized grade, their division will be determined by their birth date. These dates are detailed on the Info for Homeschoolers page.

May students participate in grade divisions other than their own?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:56:39+00:00

No. Students must participate in their formally recognized grade, or in the absence of a formally recognized grade, their assigned grade based on their birth date as detailed on the Info for Homeschoolers page. In some rare cases, there may be an insufficient number of students participating in a division, necessitating having them participate in a combined division. However, their scores will still only be compared to those at their grade level for qualification and awards purposes.

Are the questions the same in all divisions?dhobeika2018-12-05T13:57:53+00:00

Students in the 6th Grade and 5th Grade and Lower divisions will get slightly modified versions of the questions offered in the 7th and 8th Grade divisions. However, the answer lines will be the same.

Past questions used at our National Championships are available on the Practice Resources page. While those questions may be more difficult than what your students will hear at our Regional Finals, they may give you an idea as to whether the question difficulty is appropriate for your student. All of the currently available questions were geared toward the 7th and 8th Grade level. So you should judge appropriately for your Elementary aged students.

No prior experience is required, and we encourage all students to give it a try! We recommend that you do take a look at our US Academic Bee Rules Sheet and review the past questions available on our Practice Resources page to make sure your student understands the format and the type of questions they will be asked so they are as prepared as possible before coming to a tournament.

Do we need to bring buzzers, volunteers, or anything else with us to the Regional Finals?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:55:19+00:00

Nothing is required. If someone is interested in moderating at a Regional Final, please contact the tournament director whose email is attached to that particular Regional Final, and they will determine if you are qualified and if additional help is needed. If your student is taking the Geography qualifying exam at a Regional Final, they may want to bring a preferred pen or pencil, although writing utensils will be provided at the site.

What is the registration deadline for the Regional Finals?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:55:02+00:00

Tournament registration will close two weeks prior to the tournament date. For example, if a tournament is held on a Saturday, registration will close at Midnight EST on the Saturday two weeks prior. Tournaments will have posted field caps, and it is likely that the cap will be met prior to the registration deadline. In all cases, please register as early as possible to help ensure your student will be able to participate.

Is there a limit to the number of students who can participate from our school or home school co-op?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:54:40+00:00

There is no limit to the number of students who may take the qualifying exam. Limits for the Regional Finals and National Championships are based on how many students qualify and register before the field cap is met.

Can a student compete at more than one Regional Final this year?dhobeika2018-09-01T13:54:21+00:00

Students will be assigned to a Primary Regional Final and a Secondary Regional Final. Those two tournaments will have different dates and questions and will be in a relatively close geographic area to the student’s school or home. Students must participate at one of those two tournaments and will only be allowed to participate in one or the other, not both.

I have a question that is not answered here and I can’t find on the site!dhobeika2018-09-01T13:54:00+00:00